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Unraveling

Unraveling is the process of undoing or separating something that is tangled, knotted, or connected. The term can describe literal disentanglement of threads or fibers, as in weaving or textile repair, where fibers separate to form a straight or functional structure again. It also applies to figurative situations in which a plan, system, or mystery becomes exposed or collapses, or gradually deteriorates.

Etymology: The word arises from un- plus ravel, a word with historically opposing senses: to tangle and

In material and biological contexts, unraveling describes processes such as polymer chains uncoiling, fabrics losing their

In scientific discussions, unraveling may describe the stepwise disassembly of complex systems, or the separation of

See also: unravel, untangle, unwind, deconstruct, decompose, disassemble, unraveling of a plot.

to
disentangle.
The
evolution
of
unraveling
reflects
the
metaphor
of
a
thread
coming
apart.
integrity
as
seams
give
way,
or
proteins
and
nucleic
acids
losing
structure
and
function
under
stress,
heat,
or
chemical
exposure.
In
everyday
language,
it
is
common
to
describe
the
unraveling
of
a
plot,
conspiracy,
or
storyline
when
elements
are
exposed
or
clarified.
It
can
also
mean
the
gradual
decline
of
a
person’s
composure
or
mental
state,
sometimes
described
as
someone
beginning
to
unravel.
previously
bound
components,
such
as
DNA
strands
during
replication
or
transcription,
and
the
unfolding
of
proteins
as
they
lose
their
native
structure.